CHAPTER V.
JACKO IN THE PANTRY.
In his frequent visits to the stable, Jacko amused himself by catchingmice that crept out to pick up the corn.
The servants, having noticed his skill, thought they would turn it togood account, and having been troubled with mice in the pantry,determined to take advantage of the absence of Mrs. Lee on a journey,and shut the monkey up in it. So, one evening, they took him out of hiscomfortable bed, and chained him up in the larder, having removed everything except some jam pots, which they thought out of his reach, andwell secured with bladder stretched over the top.
Poor Jacko was evidently much astonished, and quite indignant, at thistreatment, but presently consoled himself by jumping into a souptureen, where he fell sound asleep, while the mice scampered all overthe place.
As soon as it was dawn, the mice retired to their holes. Jacko awokeshivering with cold, stretched himself, and then, pushing the souptureen from the shelf, broke it to pieces. After this achievement, hebegan to look about for something to eat, when he spied the jam pots onthe upper shelf.
"There is something good," he thought, smelling them. "I'll see."
His sharp teeth soon worked an entrance, when the treasured jams, plums,raspberry, strawberry, candied apricots, the pride and care of the cook,disappeared in an unaccountably short time.
At last, his appetite for sweets was satisfied, and coiling his tail ina corner, he lay quietly awaiting the servant's coming to take him out.
Presently he heard the door cautiously open, when the chamber girl gavea scream of horror as she saw the elegant China dish broken into athousand bits, and lying scattered on the floor.
She ran in haste to summon Hepsy and the nurse, her heart misgiving herthat this was not the end of the calamity. They easily removed Jacko,who began already to experience the sad effects of overloading hisstomach, and then found, with alarm and grief, the damage he had done.
For several days the monkey did not recover from the effects of hisexcess. He was never shut up again in the pantry.
When Mrs. Lee returned she blamed the servants for trying such anexperiment in her absence. Jacko was now well, and ready for some newmischief; and Minnie, who heard a ludicrous account of the story,laughed till she cried.
She repeated it, in great glee, to her father, who looked very grave ashe said, "We think a sea voyage would do the troublesome fellow good;but you shall have a Canary or a pair of Java sparrows instead."
"Don't you know any stories of good monkeys, father?"
"I don't recollect any at this moment, my dear; but I will see whether Ican find any for you."
He opened the book, and then asked,--
"Did you know, Minnie, that almost all monkeys have bags or pouches intheir cheeks, the skin of which is loose, and when empty makes theanimal look wrinkled?"
"No, sir; I never heard about it."
"Yes, that is the case. He puts his food in them, and keeps it theretill he wishes to devour it.
"There are some kinds, too, that have what is called prehensile tails;that is, tails by which they can hang themselves to the limb of a tree,and which they use with nearly as much ease as they can their hands. Thefacility which this affords them for moving about quickly among thebranches of trees is astonishing. The firmness of the grasp which itmakes is very surprising; for if it winds a single coil around a branch,it is quite sufficient, not only to support its weight, but to enable itto swing in such a manner as to gain a fresh hold with its feet."
"I'm sure, father," eagerly cried Minnie, "that Jacko has a prehensiletail, for I have often seen him swing from the ladder which goes up thehay mow."
"I dare say, child. He seems to be up to every thing. But here is anaccount of an Indian monkey, of a light grayish yellow color, with blackhands and feet. The face is black, with a violet tinge. This is calledHoonuman, and is much venerated by the Hindoos. They believe it to beone of the animals into which the souls of their friends pass at death.If one of these monkeys is killed, the murderer is instantly put todeath; and, thus protected, they become a great nuisance, and destroygreat quantities of fruit. But in South America, monkeys are killed bythe natives as game, for the sake of the flesh. Absolute necessity alonewould compel us to eat them. A great naturalist named Humboldt tells usthat their manner of cooking them is especially disgusting. They areraised a foot from the ground, and bent into a sitting position, inwhich they greatly resemble a child, and are roasted in that manner. Ahand and arm of a monkey, roasted in this way, are exhibited in a museumin Paris."
"Monkeys have a curious way of introducing their tails into the fissuresor hollows of trees, for the purpose of hooking out eggs and othersubstances. On approaching a spot where there is a supply of food, theydo not alight at once, but take a survey of the neighborhood, a generalcry being kept up by the party."